- Date
- June 28, 1989, 18:00 local (Jun 29, 1989, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Orchards, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8986CPiper PA-20
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890628024479A
- Case key
- 41040
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The failure of the pilot to align the aircraft with the landing runway on touchdown and his failure to maintain directional control during landing ground roll, resulting in a ground loop.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that the aircraft was not aligned with the landing runway. He indicated that he lost control and the aircraft impacted the ground during the ensuing ground loop.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8986C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-1052
- Airframe hours
- 3,896
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Methow Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Curtis, Gary W
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 23, 1988 · 36 hours before
- Airport
- 056 · Clark Co., runway 25, 2,800 × 50 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 86 total · 59 in this make and model · 52 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- NUW, 8 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.